[DeTomaso] NPC: 850 Fiat Spider driving impressions

[Sean Korb]

There is slight Pantera content, but come on.

My first car was given to me by my father when I was 11 years old: a 1969
850 Fiat Spider.  It wasn't much of a gift, as in the north these poor
things rusted out in less than 5 years.  So I used my paper route money to
buy a lot of bondo, and I bolted my swing set to the bulkheads to keep it
from splitting in half.  I rebuilt the motor (cracked piston) and when I
was 16 I started it up and drove it a few miles.  We couldn't afford to put
it on the family's insurance policy so it sat, and when I was without a
home the summer of my 17th year it was parked on the street and the city
took it away.

So today I saw a lovely '73 Fiat.  Did you know there's a cross brace under
the passenger compartment?  This is news to me as the one on my '69 had
thoroughly rusted away into the aether.
http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/3790786060.html

It was as described.  No rust.  And it really runs great for a 40 year old
car.  He said I was the only person who knew how to drive it.  In the
corner, you downshift, turn in and then mash the gas.  It's natural for me
in any car I'm in, but modern cars are so forgiving that you don't really
have to go through that ritual.  In the Fiat, the 812cc motor will stall
and you will come to an abrupt halt.  It's a really very well balanced car,
and the rear end doesn't want to swing out as much as I remembered as a 16
year old (radial vs bias tires?), but driving by yourself would be more fun
as having a passenger adds almost 10% to the gross weight.

So the worst part about it is I made him an offer, he counter offered and I
held firm and got the price I wanted.  One final condition though, my
spouse is pretty upset with me for considering a car that I don't have
garage space for and might leave to rot.  I have to say I share her
feelings.  I told the seller I would decide this week and he did not have
to hold the car for me.

This is a tougher decision than I would like it to be.  I should really use
the money to get the air conditioning working in the Pantera and drive it
in the summer months more.

Thanks for any advice, cat calls or 2 cents.

sean
-- 
Sean Korb spkorb at spkorb.org http://www.spkorb.org
'65,'68 Mustangs,'68 Cougar,'78 R100/7,'60 Metro,'59 A35,'71 Pantera #1382
"The more you drive, the less intelligent you get" --Miller
"Computers are useless.  They can only give you answers." -P. Picasso